Attachment for air-brake systems.



VPATENTBD MAY 12, 1903.-

J. W. ALEXANDER. ATTACHMENT FOR AIR BRAKE SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22, 1902.

NO MODEL.

j llmrso hrarss FAX-EN? late tecl ma 12 less. I

JAMES: AZJEXAN DER, OF BRIDGEPORT, OHIO.

A'lTi-lfii -llilENT FOR AER-=BRAKE SYSTEMS.

fiPE-CZIEEQATIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 728,071, dated May l9 .33.

Applioa'lion filed liovemher 22.1902. Serial No. 132.399. (ll'o model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be is known that 1, James W. ALEXANDER, a citizen of line UnitedStai'eaand a resident of Bridgeport, in'the county of Belmont and Stateof Ohio, have made certain new anduseful Improvements in Aiaiachmentsfor Air- Erake Systems, of which. the following is a specification.

In air-brakes of'the Westinghouse and allied types the main drum orstorage-reservoir carried on the locomotive performs two distincbfunctions. First, in acis as a storagereservoir for air to be used inreleasing brakes or charging the train; and, second, as a drainoup forfreeing air from wail-er. to accumulate in such dram or reservoir fromthe fact that all air containsmoisture in suspension and=also fromleakage. The reservoir requires to he of greafi capacity, the larger thebetter, and in order that its capacity may he kept at the maximum greatcare is-required to insure its complete drainage, and this should hedone at frequent intervals, since if water accumulates to an undue eX-tent in the reservoir the efiiciency of the brake is iui paired ina-corresponding degree.

It is the object of my inventionto provide;

such drum or reservoir Wit-h a blow-01f attachment which may be operatedfrom thelocomotive-cab and which sohserves 'two purposes-first, toremove the Water accumulating in the drum, pd, second, to suddenlyrelieve air-pressure n} the train pipe' as required for anemergenoxbrake. The detailsiii-construction, arrangement, andcombinatioiis of pares are as heroinafzer described,'reference beinghadrto accompany ing drawings, in which- Figure l is a side viewrepresenting my invention applied 60 a locomotive and tender.

' Fig. 2 is r plan view of the main drum or reservoir provided withmyabtachment. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical transverse section of thereservoir, and Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the valve forming part,of the attach- 1 merit.

In Fig. I, A indicates the main drum or reservoir; B,-tl 1e train-pipe;O, the auxiliary reservoir, and D the brake-cylinder. In pracisice thetrain-pipe may end at and connect directly with the'engiueers valve, asusual in the Westinghouse system. As shown nest in Water tends,

Fig. 3, the drum A is provided on iis lower side with an opening whichis closed by a cup E, the latter being screwed in place and projectingbelow-the reservoir. A'pipe F is arranged in thedrum with its lower endinserted in the cup E and its upper end extending out; through the sideof the reservoir, Where it is provided with a valve G. (See Fig. h)

In practice I propose to employ any numher of these atiachments,preferably Three, as

represented in Fig. 2.

Each of the valves G is provided with a lever-arm g, and the severallever-arms are connected by a rod H, {see Fig. 2,) which is flexiblyconnected by a link h with the slotted levee arm '5 of a vertical rod I,that extends up into the locomotive-cab and is there provided with ashort handle '11. (See Fig. 1.) The vaive -or stop-cock G is shown inFig, 4: in normal position-that is to say, closing the exit of thetrain-pipe F. It is apparent thee by rotahing the vertical rod 1 afraction of a revoloiion the connecting-rod H will throw all the valvesgig at; such time, and since but a small quantity of air is drawn upfrom'the main reservoir in the drainage operation the normal pressurewithin the reservoir is quickly restored oy the air-pump. 1 l

. It; will be seen that; the cup E practically extends the bottom of thereservoir A to a lower point and that; it serves to receive and holdwater-{which would otherwise fill to a greater or less extent thereservoir proper. Further, the cup insures the passage or dis charge ofall the water ihai; accumulates in the reservoir, which would not hepracticable if the pipes F terminated Within the reservoir proper ashort; distance above the bottom of the same. The drainage of thereservoir A being thus easy to eifechthe engineer will frequently resortto its use, and thus the reservoir will he kept practically free ofwat-er at; all times, and the oapaeity of the reservoir, and thereforethe eifieienev of the brake, will be correspondingly maintained orincreased.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and. desire toscan re by Letters Patent, is

1. In an air-brake system of the class described, the combination withthe main reservoir, of an open-end air-discharge pipe, a valve forcontrolling the discharge therefrom, and means for operating such valve,substantially as shown and described.

2. In an air-brake system of the class described, the combination withthe main reservoir, of an open-end air-discharge pipe whose inner endleads downward into proximity to the bottom thereof, and which extendsont through the drum, a valve applied to the outer end of the pipe andnormallyclosing the same, and means under the control of applied to thebottom of same, of an open-end.

drainagepipe Within the reservoir whose lower end enters the said cupand whose other end projects from the said drum, a valve arranged in theouter end of the pipe, and means for controllingthe position of thevalve as required for opening or closing the drainagepipe, substantiallyas shown and described.

4. The combination, with the main reservoir, of an open-enddrainage-pipe arranged therein, and extending through the side of thereservoir, a valve applied to its outer end and provided with alever-arm, a rod extending into the locomotive-cab, and a rod con--necting the same with the valve-arm, substantially asshown anddescribed.

5. The combination, with the main reservoir, having cups applied to itsunder side, of a series ofiopen-end drainage-pipes whose inner endsenter the said cups, valves applied to the outer ends of the-pipes-andprovided with lever-arms, a rod which pivotally connects the seriesofvalve-arms, a vertical rotatable rod extending into the locomotivecaband provided at each end with a lever- -arm, the lowerarm being flexiblyconnected Witnesses;

JOSEPH 0. HEINLEIN, CHAS. S. RAYMER,

